Primal Kitchen Review: This Stuff Is Good

Mark Sisson got me good. Basically gives away all of his outstanding content on his blog and then writes up one of the best comprehensive yet simple books about health and fitness in The Primal Blueprint.

When I finished The Primal Blueprint I was like “how does Mark make money when he’s giving away the knowledge for free”. Sure as shit up pops an email mentioning the Primal Kitchen with a 15% discount and a bunch of freebies on my first order.
Primal Kitchen Whole 30 Kit

I have been buying from the Primal Kitchen for a year now starting with the Whole 30 Kit. Instead of writing reviews for each item from the Primal Kitchen I decided it would be best to dedicate one page to all of them. Reason being is there is only so much you can say about Mayo.

At the time of this writing I have almost tried them all and will add in the last ones as I go. With that, I’ll start with my favorite and work my way down.

** Click any link to the Primal Kitchen and use Coupon Code: BRAD to get 10% off site wide.**

Chipotle Lime Mayo

Holy fucking shit is this stuff delicious. I am not joking. This is by far the best mayo I have had in my entire life. I cannot put this shit down when I get it. I have bought 4 jars so far and rarely does it last a week in my house.

The Chipotle Lime Mayo is so good that there have been times where I’ll grab a fork, go to the fridge, open the jar, and start eating away. I get 6 swipes with my fork in before I show some restraint and put it back.

I do not know how Mark and his team made this shit but its amazing. I’ll put it on eggs, throw a scoop in salad, or use it as a dip. It is pricey at $9.95 a jar and it goes quickly. It would be nice if they sold it in a much larger tub with hopefully some sort of a discount based on volume.

Its hard to justify buying the Chipotle Lime Mayo all the time because of the price. There is one of those fancy health food stores near me that keeps it in stock which I pop into every other month or so when I am in downtown Royal Oak. It costs the same to buy it in the store as it does via the Primal Kitchen website as they do free shipping.

Primal Fuel

Available in Vanilla Coconut and Chocolate Coconut. I tried Vanilla first followed by Chocolate. Both flavors are scary good with me favoring Vanilla just a little. After opening the tub up you can really smell the coconut.

My first try of Primal Fuel I mixed it with water and slammed it. Not bad at all. On the second try I blended it with a banana, blueberries, and strawberries. Thats where the Primal Fuel shines. It was awesome.

It does not have the amount of ingredients Shakeology has and that is ok. There are only 21 servings in Primal Fuel and for $50 is a fair price. For that reason alone I do not see myself writing a Primal Fuel vs Shakeology post as they are not similar in price or ingredients.

I will say that both flavors of Primal Fuel taste better than just about every flavor of Shakeology. My guess is because of there being less ingredients so the Vanilla, Chocolate, and Coconut really pop.

This is one of those items I could see myself complimenting Shakeology with but not replacing. A backup meal replacement shake or even as a post workout drink. I see myself buying Primal Fuel every once in awhile.

Collagen Fuel

If there was one Primal Kitchen item I was curious about trying it would be Collagen Fuel.

If you are following the Primal or Paleo diet and consume a lot of meat then you may put yourself at risk of living a shorter life.

If you supplement your meat intake with collagen as it is high in Glycine than it is supposed to counteract those effects.

Collagen also supports joints, connective tissue, hair, skin, nails, and the gut. What interested me the most was how it helps the joints and connective tissues. Years of playing sports has done a number on those.

I tried Chocolate Collagen Fuel followed by Vanilla Collagen Fuel. My first impression after opening each was the coconut smell (which seems to happen with all Primal Kitchen products) and how clumpy it was. My second impression was how the tub was half full. I hate when that happens. The picture you see here had had 8 scoops taken out of it. I am also not liking how there are only 12 servings or 24 scoops.

I tried Collagen Fuel three times before blending it with other items. It tastes very good. Didn’t notice anything immediately or the days after. It is far too early to tell what Collagen Fuel is going to do for me.

I know I am supposed to take two scoops at a time and probably should since I am using two scoops of Shakeology for Andrea and I. But Collagen Fuel is a little pricey and ordering it every two weeks is kind of a pain in the butt. So I am sticking with the one scoop for now and will order every 40 days or so. I like Vanilla just a little bit more than Chocolate.

What intrigues me the most about Collagen Fuel is the long term affects of taking it and what it can do for my knee and elbow injuries I have been dealing with for a decade now. Will update over time.

Collagen Peptides

When I received the email announcing the fine people at Primal Kitchen are now selling Collagen Peptides I wondered why they didn’t sell these first. I mean, its the same collagen thats in Collagen Fuel.

I’m sure there is a good reason why but to me its a no-brainer. You get the same grass-fed collagen peptides that are in Collagen Fuel but without the coconut flavor. These are unflavored collagen peptides that you mix in with whatever you want.

The best part of the Collagen Peptides is the price. You get 41 servings for $35 versus 12 servings for $40 with Collagen Fuel. Why even buy Collagen Fuel (unless you like the taste) when all you want is the collagen peptides.

At the time of this update I have finished two tubs of Collagen Fuel and one tub of collagen from Sports Research. Taking collagen on a day to day basis has been apart of my routine for nine months and I’m seeing the benefits of doing so.

I am almost finished with my bag of Primal Kitchen Collagen Peptides and I don’t feel they have the same “kick” as the ones from Sports Research. They both have Type 1 & 3 collagen in them but Sports Research has 11g per serving versus 10g per serving with Primal Kitchen. I doubt 1g makes a difference but it kind of feels like it.

I have been mixing the unflavored collagen peptides in my morning coffee and daily Shakeology. Since these came out I see myself buying these over Collagen Fuel because of price and because I’m not getting rid of Shakeology.

Mayo

Regular old boring delicious mayo. As you can tell from above, I have a thing for the Chipotle Lime Mayo. The regular Mayo is good, not as good from a taste point of view as Chipotle Lime, but good.

The Avocado Oil is a nice touch and the simplicity of the quality ingredients makes it so much better than your run of the mill mayo you get at a grocery store.

Again, $9.95 a jar is on the expensive side but if its quality you want then thats what you get. It is available to be purchased in a gallon sized tub.

Garlic Aioli Mayo

When I received the email from Primal Kitchen mentioning the new Garlic Aioli Mayo I was eager to try it.

The regular Mayo and Chipotle Lime Mayo are two products I continue to buy and never disappoint.

Unfortunately I was not impressed with the Garlic Aioli. My tastebuds were not liking it. I don’t know if it was the Garlic, Aioli, or Rosemary but I was not feeling it.

This Mayo is not going to be one I buy again.

Ranch Dressing

Wow, just wow. This is some good tasting stuff. It reminds me of ranch dressings I’ve had at fancy restaurants.

It does not glob (you know what I mean) out when poured. The right amount of creaminess when applied to a salad.

Again, at $7.95 it is pricey and it goes quick. It is only available to buy in one size. The Ranch Dressing is my favorite Primal Kitchen dressing but like the other items I wish it was available to buy in bulk.

Vegan Ranch Dressing

Introduced in 2018 the Vegan Ranch Dressing was made for all of those…well…Vegans. I am a big fan of Vegan food but am not one in the least bit.

And just like the regular Ranch Dressing you cannot go wrong with the Vegan one. It is really good.

The two share almost all of the same ingredients outside of this dressing being egg free.

I have to put this one up higher on my favorite Primal Kitchen dressings because Ranch is the best dressing. Its not even up for debate. You know it to be true.

Dreamy Italian Dressing

Another dressing introduced in 2018 the Dreamy Italian is a twist on a dressing I rarely use in Italian and one I use all the time in something that looks like Ranch.

That’s the best way I can describe Dreamy Italian. And this stuff is excellent.

I’d put up up higher in my favorites but I still have a thing for Ranch. But after trying it for the first time I thought why hasn’t somebody made this before? Maybe they have but I haven’t had it.

This is one dressing I’d recommend for those wanting to try a new sort of dressing from Primal Kitchen.

Caesar Dressing

This is one of the last dressings I got around to trying and I am going to rank it in second place behind the Ranch.

Avocado Oil continues to make all the difference in the Primal Kitchen dressings and does so in the Caesar. Tastes very good and might be one of the best Caesar dressings I’ve ever had. Not one particular ingredient sticks out over the others.

Hopefully Mark Sisson and his team will start making these dressings in larger quantities soon. There is something not so financially friendly about spending $7.95 on a salad dressing and maybe getting three servings out of it.

If it wasn’t for the price I would probably cycle Caesar along with Ranch into the items I purchase more often.

Italian Vinaigrette

Also introduced in 2018 was a good old fashion Italian Vinaigrette. Nothing is old fashion from the Primal Kitchen people and their take on Italian is no different.

I always have to be in the mood for an Italian dressing or it comes with whatever I ordered. And thats the case with this one.

Its good. I like it. But I don’t see myself buying it all that often as I prefer Ranch or crazy sorts of dressings. And with the Dreamy Italian available I’d buy that one moving forward.

Using it as marinade is a little out of my price range too. I can find two or three marinades for the same price.

Green Goddess Dressing

Applied some of it to a salad I had and did not know what I thought about it. Decided it would be best to take a shot of Green Goddess to get the full effect. And that’s what I did.

Its somewhere in-between a dressing and a Vinaigrette. Not creamy like a dressing but not runny like a Vinaigrette. The combo of Avocado Oil and its spices make it interesting to say the least.

Green Goddess is a good dressing but I was not overly wowed with it like Ranch and to a lessor extent Caesar. Not sure if I will be buying Green Goddess again because like the other Primal Kitchen dressings it is expensive at $7.95 a bottle.

Honey Mustard Vinaigrette

A first for me. I have had Honey Mustard and Vinaigrette dressings before but not at the same time.

My initial thoughts of the Honey Mustard Vinaigrette were it was going to be thick like the Honey Mustard dressings I’ve had before. As you can tell from the picture it is not. It is more Vinaigrette than Honey Mustard.

It is good but not my favorite. Probably due to me thinking about Honey Mustard being something used to dip stuff into and occasionally used on salads.

The same $7.95 as the other dressings with no chance to buy in bulk.

Greek Vinaigrette

A very good vinaigrette that met my expectations. Kind of spicy and tangy. I think I might be sensitive to one of the ingredients. There were a couple of times when my tongue swelled up. Nothing crazy but enough to get me thinking something strange is going on.

I am not a big fan of vinaigrettes in general so that is why this one and Honey Mustard are on the bottom of the list.

$7.95 for a bottle with no opportunity to buy in bulk. I might have poured a quarter of the bottle out the first time I used the Greek Vinaigrette on a salad. Made me sad seeing $1.98 in dressing pour out all at once. This is the only dressing I will not buy again unless they are giving a sweet deal.

Balsamic Vinaigrette

This dressing was released a few months after the others. I’ve never really been a fan of Vinaigrettes. There is something kind of boring about them. Plus, I think I have a mild sensitivity to Vinegar which makes me tongue puffy. Its weird.

Not to wuss out I bought the Balsamic Vinaigrette when it came out. Like the other Primal Kitchen dressings a lot of it poured out when I tipped it over my salad. I hate seeing that.

Like the Greek and Honey Mustard Vinaigrettes I’d say the Balsamic is OK. I know its a quality Vinaigrette from the ingredients and because the people at Primal Kitchen made it. I’m just not a Vinaigrette fan. I’d only buy it again if its apart of some package deal.

Sesame Ginger Vinaigrette

Another vinaigrette introduced in 2018 was Sesame Ginger. As I stated above with the other Vinaigrette’s I tend to forget about these when looking to put something on a salad.

And that’s what happened here. It was too Ginger-ey for me.

This just isn’t a flavor I am going to go for again. It also doesn’t help I dumped out a quarter of it which tends to happen with the Primal Kitchen dressings.

I understand it can be used for a Marinade also but that is a pricey $7 Marinade for me when I can get three for that price at Krogers.

Lemon Turmeric Vinaigrette

Rounding out the dressings, vinaigrettes, and marinades introduced in 2018 is Lemon Turmeric.

I understand there are health benefits to Lemon and Turmeric helps lowering inflammation but I cannot wrap my tastebuds around this one.

And using it for a marinade seems kind of like a waste due to cost. It is unlike anything I’ve ever tried and I do not see myself buying it again. This is just not my style.

It is noticeable how much clearer and thinner it is than the regular Avocado Oil or Olive Oil. I have used it to cook with and to drizzle on salads.

This is my first time buying an Avocado Oil and possibly using it. The only oils I have used up to this point are Olive Oils.

Avocado Oil plays a big part in the Primal Kitchen lineup as its an ingredient in all of the items above. They really like their fats.

At $12.95 each it seems like a fair price due to the quality of the ingredients. The difference is the extra virgin comes in a 250ml bottle and the avocado oil is in a 500ml bottle.

Each of the avocado oils are available to buy three at a time for a savings of $2 per bottle.

Primal Kitchen also makes an Avocado Oil Spray. Cooking with it was a little tricky as I never felt like it covered the pan all that well and I seemed to burn the food more often.

But the spray did work well for salads which is what I used it for most often. I don’t see myself buying the spray all that often because I typically include an Avocado in most of the salad’s I make. Maybe when they have a buy one get one sale.

Ill probably buy regular avocado in the future due to getting twice as much for the same price.

Protein Bars

The Grass Fed Collagen Bars are definitely a new one for me. They are not a protein bar or a granola bar either. I have not had something like these before. Primal Kitchen really pushes the collagen part of these bars. From what I understand it is 100% protein.

They get their collagen from grass-fed cows in Germany and Brazil. All four of the bars have 15 grams of protein.

If collagen is is the protein that holds everything together in our bodies then its also what holds all of the ingredients in the bars together. They have a taffy type texture after you take a bite.

What surprised me the most about the bars was on the nutrition label. They have less than 12 grams of carbs and 3 grams of sugar. Most protein bars I’ve had over the years have 30 grams of carbs and 16 grams of sugar. Not so with the Primal Kitchen Protein Bars. These have simpler and healthier ingredients in these grass fed collagen bars versus your typical protein bar.

You can definitely tell the Primal Kitchen team has put some effort into making these protein bars unique.

The Macadamia Sea Salt Bar is my favorite. Its the only one where I went back for a second bite during my taste test. And its probably the only one I would buy again unless there is some package deal going on.

I will say they have been able to come up with some unique flavors with their protein bars. You get 12 bars for $36 which I feel is a little on the high end for a snack bar.

This is one of those you get what you pay for things. There is no doubt the Primal Kitchen Protein Bars are good and more than likely good for you. For me, these are a once in awhile purchase because they are somewhat expensive.

Coupon Code

Click any link on this site and it will send you to the Primal Kitchen website. Select the items you want and put in BRAD for the coupon code to get 10% off site wide.

Where To Buy

As you can probably guess, the best place to buy Primal Kitchen products is at the Primal Kitchen website. Shipping and customer service are excellent. Upon making your first order you will be added to their mailing list.

About two weeks after you receive your order you will probably get an email asking for you to review your purchase. Do so and you will receive a 20% off coupon for your next purchase of something you have never bought before. Its a clever way to get you to buy and try more Primal Kitchen products.

You may also see Primal Kitchen products at your local grocery store. Mark Sisson and his team are going mainstream with the Paleo way. I was surprised to see the Chipotle Lime Mayo and regular Mayo on the shelf at the Kroger near my house.

Summary:

The Chipotle Lime Mayo is awesome. I lied when I said I could not write that much about Mayo. The regular Mayo is very good too. Ranch dressing is my favorite followed by Vegan Ranch and Dreamy Italian. California Extra Virgin Avocado Oil is great to cook with or use on salads.

The Macadamia Sea Salt Collagen Bars are awesome and I will be ordering more of them.

Vanilla Coconut Primal Fuel is excellent. This will be something I buy every once in awhile as it does not have the same ingredients as Shakeology which I am used to.

Collagen Fuel is excellent but you’d be better off buying the Collagen Peptides as you get the same ingredients with four times as many servings for roughly the same price.

There are still a couple more items I will be purchasing to try out and will update them with a review when I get them. I do buy both Mayo’s every couple of months regardless of price. For the rest of the items I wait until there is a buy one get one free or 20% off coupon in their monthly newsletter.

One of my only gripes about buying Primal Kitchen items is the packaging. There is a lot of waste. My guess is because they use glass for almost all of their items. Each item gets its own box.

And every single one of the items is wrapped like a burrito. It looks very cool but man does it seem like quite a bit of waste. My recycle bin is nearly full after opening my order up and putting everything away. Hopefully they figure something out or start shipping in plastic.

If you want to ease your way into the Primal Kitchen I recommend getting a Free Box of Dark Chocolate Almond Bars. You only pay for shipping. This also puts you on their list where you will be sent coupons.

The price of the Primal Kitchen items is only a hang up because of the quantity. If they had an option to buy in bulk at a discount I probably would not mind.

There is one thing in common with all of the Primal Kitchen items. You get what you pay for. The ingredients are top notch and well put together.

Most items are Gluten Free, Sugar Free, Soy & Canola Free, Dairy Free, and Paleo Approved. Pretty impressive how they achieved those and made good tasting items in the process.

I see myself being a customer of the Primal Kitchen for quite awhile. Not every month. Probably not every other month either. Definitely every third month though.

About Brad Gibala

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Having tried a few of the Primal Kitchen salad dressings, I’d have to say, “Save your money.” Sorry, none of them are great, but the Caesar in particular is just awful. It’s no wonder a couple of websites have discounted the brand. Sisson should either stick with what he does best or else find people who actually know how to make salad dressing.

I am not a fan of the sizes and packaging. There is not enough and it ships in glass with a lot of paper. Its kind of wasteful. In regards to the dressings I understand what you’re saying. I really like the variations of Ranch but the other ones don’t really do it for me.